Water gun butt and apparatus



March 17, 1953 B. M. sHEPARD ETAL WATER GUN BUTT AND APPARATUS 2SHEETS-SHEET 1 Filed June 30, 1950 INVENToRs B.M.SHEPHARD RSQLLIVANATH/5.

March 17, 1953 B. M. sHEPARD r-:TAL

WATER GUN BUTT AND APPARATUS 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 Filed June 30, 1950INVENTORS B M. SHEPHARD .P. SULLNAN ATTKS.

R MAQ@ Patented Mar. 17, 1953 UNITED STATES FFICE.

WATER GUN BUTT AND APPARATUS Berger M. Shepard, Silver Spring, Md., andRobert P. Sullivan, Chattanooga, Tenn.

(Granted under Title 35, U. S. de (1952),

sec. 266) 4 Claims.

This invention relates generally to bullet traps and more particularlyto a new and improved apparatus for stopping projectiles for ballisticstudy.

The testing of new firearms or the acceptance test of ammunitionrequires considerable shooting and in such case projectiles are not, asa general rule, directed at a particular target but fired into a body ofeither water or sand, as the case may be, for subsequent recoveriestherefrom for the purpose of either examination or for salvage as scrapmetal.

The recovery of projectiles for ballistic study has been extensivelypracticed for many years and, whereas, sand butts or solid Water buttsof the conventional type have been more commonly employed for stoppingprojectiles fired for general test purposes, butts of cotton waste orkapok are more universally used for stopping projectiles to be recoveredintact for ballistic examination. The soft yielding resistance oflightly packed cotton so gradually reduces the speed of a projectile inflight that relatively little damage is done thereto during the stoppingoperation in contrast to that received by a projectile in striking buttsof sand or in some less degree in striking solid masses of water as inthe case of conventional water butts.

Although cotton or kapok butts of the type indicated have been foundgenerally satisfactory for single shot iiring, the difficulty and timerequired in preparing by rearranging the iibrous filling of such buttsbetween shots makes them highly impracticable for testing eitherfirearms or ammunition where considerable shooting is required.

The gun butt of the present invention possesses all the advantages andnone of the disadvantages of the foregoing apparatus by providing for anarrangement wherein a plurality of thin water sheets are directed acrossthe path or" the pro jectile to be stopped, and as the sheets areprogressively penetrated by the projectile in flight the speed thereofis proportionally reduced sumcently to decelerate to a stop theprojectile within a selected trajectory while at no instant applyingthereto a suillcient shock force to deform er alter the physicalcharacteristics of the projectile from the manner in which it left thebarrel of the gun from which it was fired.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus forreducing to a stop a projectile in flight after a predetermined travelthereof without deformation of the projectile during the stoppingoperation.

A further object is to provide a new and improved water butt wherein thebutt is comprised of a plurality of predetermined spaced sheets ofwater.

A still further object is to provide a gun butt wherein water isdirected in sheets across the path of a projectile to be stopped.

A still further object is to provide a gun butt wherein the flow of afluid system is separated into spaced fluid sheets as it is passedbefore a projectile to be stopped.

Other objects and many of the attendant advantages of this inventionwill be readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood byreference to the following detailed description when considered inconnection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. l is a side view partly in section of the gun butt of the presentinvention;

Fig. 2 is a plan View in elevation of the gun butt with the cover of thetank removed;

Fig. 3 is a sectional View taken along the sectional line 3--3 of Fig.2; and

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary View in elevation of an arrangement for blockingon' a selected number of the slots of the tube.

Referring now to the drawings and more par,- ticularly to Fig. l thereofthe gun butt of the present invention is generally designated 5 and isshown to include a rectangular tank assern bly generally designatedadapted, as by an extending flange portion 'l thereof, to be secured bybolts 8 to the upper surface of a table or platform 9 upon which thetank is supported.

The tank is comprised of a relatively large base portion lil, `Fig. 3,adapted for retaining therein a suitable quantity of liquid 'Il such,foi` example, as Water and which may be admitted to the tank in anysuitable manner as through the narrowed open top portion I4 thereofshown closed as by a removable cover plate I2. This enlarged baseportion l0 of the tank will hereinafter be referred to as the reservoirand from which the fluid required for operating the device is supplied.

The narrowed upper portion iii of the tank,

3, is formed by the elongated side wall sections !3 thereof extendingdownwardly below the point of securement therewith of the wall sec tions24 of the lower or large portion l0 of the tank with the wall sectionsI3 being inwardly flanged at their lower ends I2 for retainingtherebetween an elongated strainer or basket l5 constructed of anysuitable foraminous material such, for example, as wire mesh, perforatedmetal or the like, the purpose of which will become more clearlyapparent as the description pro ceeds.

Centrally arranged within the upper portion I4 of the tank is anelongated dispensing tube I6 adapted, by means of end plate portions Ilthereof, Fig. 2, Ito be secured to the side wall sections I3 of the tankby welding thereto at l.

The tube I6 is provided along its under surface with a plurality oftransverse slots I9 preferably milled therein and selectively spaced, asillustrated, so as to form liquid passing through these slots intonarrow sheets 2G that are directed downwardly across a chamber 2l formedben tween the tube and the basket It and i respectively.

In order that the necessary volume of liquid may be supplied from thereservoir it to the disn pensing tube i6 to accommodate the liquiddischarge from the slots iii, a high capacity pumping system is providedand arranged for connecting through conduits 22 and Z3 .the reservoirwith the tube i5 by way of a motor and pui-np asser-- bly generallydesignated 25 secured as by bolts 2li to -a platform 2'? forming thelower brace of the table 9. An electric switch 29 secured conventionallyto the table llange 3d controls the energizing of the motor 3i bysupplying current thereto through the electrical conduit 32.

The starting of the pump motor 3l by closure of the switch 29 causes thenecessary volume o water to be drawn from the reservoir ii! and returned thereto by way of the transverse slots le in the dispensing tubei6 thereby to provide7 durH ing the operation of the device, acontinuous spray in the form of the thin liquid sheets it across thechamber El and through which a projectile directed from a gun under testis forced to penetrate.

Arranged on and secured as by screws Fig.

2, to a forwardly extending portion of the table is a gun rack generallydesignated 36 and in cluding an angular bracket 3l of which the verticalleg portion 38 thereof is notched at 33, Fig. 2, for receiving thereinthe barrel of the gun le to be red. Movable vertically upon the leg 3Sof the bracket and equipped for being secured thereto, as by clamp screw4i in selected positions of vertical adjustment, is a butt rack d2equipped with a horizontal adjustable member it whereby with properadjustment of this rack and member 42 and l5 respectively, the barrel teof the gun may be brought into accurate alignment with openings 44 andl5 provided in the forward sections of the tank and arranged foradmitting to the chamber 2| the projectile le of the gun when fired.

Secured as by welding at 59 to the forward seci tion cl3 of the tank isa rectangular guard housing of which the side 69 thereof adjacent thetank is preferably formed from armor plate whereby a projectile missingthe opening 45 is delected rather than possibly puncturing the thinnerwall section 43 of the tank to which the housn ing is secured. Thepurpose of the housing 4l is to prevent possible ricochets from thesurface of the plate 55 from injuring the operator and further to catchsuch spray as may spatter through the opening 45 and return this liquidagain to the tank through an opening l5 provided therefor in the lowerportion of the housing and shown to advantage in Fig. 1.

A back stop assembly generally designated 5G and including a removablerectangular block 5l or any suitable material such, for example, as

wood provides means whereby certain tests may be conducted to determinethe penetrating power of a projectile at selected speeds controllable bythe number of sheets 2li the projectile is required to penetrate beforestriking the surface of the block.

Secured as by welding to .the side walls of the tank and adapted toretain in position in the tank the block 5i is a plate 55 having thereinan opening 5d suitable for admitting the projectile 45 to the face orthe block if, for certain reasons, the projectile is not stopped in thechamber 2i. The plate 53 is spaced from the tank wall to which it iswelded a distance suilcient to slide* ably receive block 5itherebetween. The back plate 5l of the tank is preferably formed ofarmor plate sufficiently thick to stop a projectile should a selectionof too few water sheets and blocks fail to do so.

The blocking off of certain groups of the slots 2 of the tube may beaccomplished in any suitable manner as, for example, vthe methoddisclosed in Fig. l wherein a two part tubular section 55, preferablyhaving a gasket liner, not shown,

f" is shown secured as by bolts 52 about the tubo it in such a manner asto prevent fluid escaping from the slots i9 covered thereby. It will beunderstood that a selected number of the slots may be covered in thismanner by providing tubular sections 55 of the required length for thepurpose intended.

Referring now briefly to the operation of the device thus far described,the switch 2Q is first thrown to energize the motor 3i which, byoperating the pump 2d, draws the water Il from the lower portion l5 ofthe tank and by way of conduit 2i. to discharge this'liquid throughconduit 23 into the dispensing tube i6 to be disbursed therefrom throughthe elongated slots IS of the tube. The flow of the water from the tubei5 in this manner, produces across the chamber 2i, a multiplicity ofthin water sheets 2B that are so arranged as to be penetrated inprogressive order by a projectile 4S red through openings M and l5 inthe forward sections of the tank and moving longitudinally through thechamber 2l. The eifect on the projectile by engagement therewith ofthese sheets is to gradually reduce the velocity thereof to a stop afterhaving penetrated a selected number of .these sheets corresponding intotal thickness to less than half the solid water penetration requiredto stop a similarly moving projectile. Projectiles stopped in thismanner remain substantially undamaged even though they may be of leadand initially traveling at high velocity.

The spent projectiles drop to the surface of the screen i5 from whichthey may be readily recovered by unfastening the plates Se by rotationof the latch elements 53 therefor and swinging inwardly the platessecured as by hinges 51 to the inner surface of the tank wall i 3.

Gbviously many modications and variations of the present invention arepossible in the light of the above teachings. It is therefore to beunderstood that vithin the scope of the appended claims, the inventionmay be practiced otherwise than as specically described.

The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or forthe Government of the United States for governmental purposes withoutpayment of any royalties thereon or therefor.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent ofthe United States is:

1. A gun butt of the character disclosed for decelerating a bullet to bestopped including, in combination, a fluid supply, a dispersing chamberfor receiving therein fluid from said supply, and means including aplurality of slotted portions in said dispersing chamber for dischargingsaid fluid from the chamber as a plurality of spray sheets arranged inmutually parallel and spaced relationship across the path of theprojectile to be stopped.

2. A gun butt of the character disclosed for decelerating a projectileWithin the trajectory thereof including, in combination, a uid supplytank, a uid reservoir, a fluid conduit system including apump forsupplying fluid from said reservoir under a predetermined pressurethereon to said supply tank, and a plurality of elongated dischargeslots arranged transversely to the line of projectiles night provided inthe base of said supply tank for discharging the uid therefrom in aplurality of spaced sheets across the path of the projectile to bestopped.

3. A gun butt of the character disclosed adapted to stop a projectile inflight including, in combination, a uid system having a first tank forVretaining a quantity of uid therein and a discharge tank in fluidcommunication with said first tank for receiving fluid therefrom, aplurality of fluid discharge ports arranged in said discharge tank inthe form of selectively spaced elongated slots through which fluiddischarge therefrom is formed into spaced fluid sheets, and means forcausing said projectile to be directed in a manner to intersect saidsheets in progressive order during the trajectory thereof.

4. A gun butt as in claim 3 further characterized by the provision ofmeans for closing a selected number of said slots to decrease the numberof said uid sheets to be intersected by the projectile.

BERGER M. SHEPARD. ROBERT P. SULLIVAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 197,398 ONeil Nov. 20, 18772,518,446 Benson et al. Aug. 15, 1950

